Parashat Sav- Don’t Let it Go to Your Head
Parashat Sav presents the Misva of "Terumat Hadeshen," the first ritual performed in the Mikdash each morning. The Kohen would enter the Mikdash and sweep the ashes that had collected on the altar during the previous day and night. Essentially, this job was nothing more than simple custodial work, which was not especially exciting or pleasant. There was nothing glorious about it. The Kohen would simply walk up to the altar, collect soot, and bring it away.
At first glance, this seems like a terribly demeaning task to assign to the Kohen. The Kohanim were endowed with a special level of Kedusha (sanctity), chosen to serve in the Mikdash and work as the nation’s teachers and spiritual guides. Couldn’t God have selected somebody else to collect the soot from the altar? And couldn’t He have found a more dignifying ritual with which to begin the day in the Bet Hamikdash?
The answer is that to the contrary, the Torah specifically wanted the Kohen to begin his day with a menial task. Positions of leadership offer the opportunity to achieve great things, but also pose the risk of arrogance. As the famous saying goes, "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." Leaders are often surrounded by people vying for their support and friendship, and these people are very careful not to criticize the leader, and to speak only words of praise and flattery. The result, very often, is a feeling of perfection, the leader’s conclusion that he can do no wrong and always has it right.
Likewise, the honor afforded to the Kohen, and the knowledge of his exalted status, could have easily "gone to his head" and made him feel a little too important. The Kohen therefore had to start his day doing custodial work, sweeping soot off the altar, as a reminder that he is simply a human being like everyone else. The Terumat Hadeshen ritual thus helped ensure that the Kohen would keep his exalted status in perspective, and not allow his pride to swell.
We all need a "Terumat Hadeshen" of one sort or another to help us keep things in perspective and remind us that we are human and imperfect. Baruch Hashem, many of us, like the Kohanim, accomplish great things that ought to make us feel proud. But precisely for this reason, we need to have people around us who will point out when we act incorrectly. Be it a spouse, close friend or Rabbi, there must be somebody close to us who will not hesitate to offer words of constructive criticism. This helps ensure that we do not become too absorbed by our achievements, and remain keenly aware of our faults and imperfections, and of the areas that are still in need of improvement.
